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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1995 Week 9 Hansard (23 November) . . Page.. 2573 ..

The concept of place management is not a new one - to a certain, but limited extent, it has been part of the Planning Authority's set-up. But the formation of place management practices will put the onus on government to ensure the needs of local areas are taken into account.

For example, a place management team could be established to guide the development of the Gungahlin Town Centre's growth, or the way South Tuggeranong will look and grow. In turn, more emphasis can be put on management of growth or redevelopment in key areas, while taking into account the local needs of particular communities.

Mr Speaker, the Government has introduced a trial of the Local Area Planning Advisory Committees. These Committees could well play a major role in the development of place management strategies. At the moment, their charter is to develop regional awareness guidelines, but if place management is implemented as part of our planning regime, we can better take account of these needs in the assessment and policy development process.

Mr Speaker, the Government has recognised the serious problem with the planning processes in the ACT. Those problems led me to make a series of policy announcements in a June statement to this Assembly which sought to address areas of major concern.

The fundamental dissatisfaction with the management of the leasehold system in the ACT and the accusations of improper conduct in leasehold dealings led to the most wide-ranging inquiry ever conducted into the system, which gives the Government much to work toward in terms of reforms to the lease management system.

But the fundamental problems being encountered by both staff and clients at the Planning Authority with a process which has become so unmanageable is an area of concern which needs some attention. This attention needs to be toward processes rather than staffing.

The Government will seek to introduce measures which will make the processes for planners simpler and more transparent. That will mean considerable changes to the way planners do their jobs, but my wish is for them to accept this challenge and work with us to develop better processes.

As I said in June, Mr Speaker, this Government was not elected to keep things as they had been in planning. The enormous dissatisfaction with the processes expressed by the people of Canberra necessitate reform - and we are willing to work with staff to deliver those reforms. In other words, we won't be throwing more money and more staff at the problem - that will only make it bigger.

I recognise that problems associated with lease management and planning are as a result of some unwieldy processes, not as a result of the staff themselves.

The Government will seek changes to the process to make it more transparent, more accountable, more client-focussed and help staff confront the source of their problems.

I would like the Assembly to be involved in that process to a high degree, because we all have a responsibility to shape the vision we all have of Canberra, and the processes which will lead us there.

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